NY Solar Jobs Act could create 22,000 jobs

A landmark solar power bill pending in the New York State legislature has the potential to create thousands of green jobs and billions of dollars in economic output for the state, according to a recent report published by Vote Solar, a U.S. national grassroots solar advocacy group.

Share

The New York Solar Jobs and Development Act of 2010, a landmark solar power bill that would create more than 22,000 green jobs and USD$20 billion in economic output over the next 15 years. The legislation would require New York to install 5,000 megawatts of solar power by 2025 — enough sun energy to power approximately one million homes  at a cost of USD39 cents on residents monthly electric bills.

A coalition of organizations  including Vote Solar, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Solar Alliance, the Apollo Alliance, and the Alliance for Clean Energy New York  urged state legislators to pass the Solar Industry Development and Jobs Act and make New York a leader in the nations growing solar economy.

By supporting the development of enough solar to power about one million homes by 2025, this legislation would drive significant economic opportunity in the state while adding less than the price of one postage stamp to New Yorkers monthly energy bills, says Vote Solar.? Specifically, it says 22,198 direct and induced jobs would be created and economic output would reach USD$20 million.

Theres nothing more important right now for New York than new jobs  and expanded use of solar power is an important way to create the new jobs and the clean energy we need, commented State Senate Majority Conference Leader John L. Sampson.

This legislation represents a strong investment in New Yorks energy future, one that would deliver economic returns immediately and for generations to come, added State Senator Andrew Lanza.

The New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA) has also voiced its support for the bill, which is due to be voted on next week. The New York Solar Jobs and Development Act will jump start the states solar economy and create good-paying jobs with lasting security, said NYSEIA president Ron Kamen, senior vice president of EarthKind Solar. This small investment now will spur continuous investment and save costly needed future payments for foreign fuel sources.

The association is pushing lawmakers to pass the bill to make solar a larger part of New Yorks electricity generation that today represents less than 0.01 percent of the mix – and keep pace with neighboring states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

Share

Becky Beetz

Becky has managed the online presence of pv magazine International since its inception in 2010. As Head of Content, she is currently responsible for content development across all platforms, including our global and regional platforms.

Related

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.

Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.

You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.

Keep up to date

pv magazine Global offers daily updates of the latest photovoltaics news. We also offer comprehensive global coverage of the most important solar markets worldwide. Select one or more editions for targeted, up to date information delivered straight to your inbox.

Email*

Select Edition(s)*

Hold Ctrl or Cmd to select multiple editions.

We send newsletters with the approximate frequency outlined for each edition above, with occasional additional notifications about events and webinars. We measure how often our emails are opened, and which links our readers click. To provide a secure and reliable service, we send our email with MailChimp, which means we store email addresses and analytical data on their servers. You can opt out of our newsletters at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of every mail. For more information please see our Data Protection Policy.

Keep up to date

We send newsletters with the approximate frequency outlined for each edition above, with occasional additional notifications about events and webinars. We measure how often our emails are opened, and which links our readers click. To provide a secure and reliable service, we send our email with MailChimp, which means we store email addresses and analytical data on their servers. You can opt out of our newsletters at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of every mail. For more information please see our Data Protection Policy.

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.